The Philadelphia 76ers couldn’t wait for free agency. The whole point of the 2023-24 season was to have a handful of expiring contracts and prepare for this offseason so they could add to their star duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Mission accomplished. The Sixers brought in Paul George on an agreement of 4-years and $212 million. The All-Star forward averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 41.3% from deep.
Now that George has been brought in, the challenge is to get through the Eastern Conference. George comes in at 34 years old while Embiid will be 31 before the 2025 playoffs begin. That championship window is only going to be open for so much longer, but Philadelphia has its best shot at winning with these three stars leading the way assuming the rest of the roster gets filled out properly.
However, this has been heard before. “The Sixers have their best shot at winning a title in X season”. It has been said plenty of times in the past only to not get past Round 2 during this current Embiid era.
A big reason for the past shortcomings has been injuries. Embiid has dealt with some type of ailment in every single postseason run he has gone through in his career. When the big fella runs out of steam in April and May due to the nagging injuries, the Sixers have been unable to find that other scorer to help push them forward.
With George now in the fold, that shouldn’t be a problem. The Sixers can turn to him in the playoffs to come up with big baskets in clutch moments that others weren’t able to get in the past. For his playoff career, George averages 21.2 points and 7.5 rebounds which shows that he can perform in the postseason.
After being the No. 1 or No. 2 option in LA, George will be the No. 3 option in Philadelphia behind Embiid and Maxey. Just because George is now in Philly, that doesn’t mean Maxey should take a step back. The star averaged 29.8 points and shot 40% from deep on 9.2 attempts in the 2024 playoffs. That is the type of production that’s needed to win in the postseason.
If George can produce 15 to 18 points per night as the No. 3 option, the Sixers should finally be able to get over the hump. Opposing teams have to pay attention to George and send defensive players his way which allows Embiid and Maxey to get free as much as they can and operate.
Every team eventually gets over that proverbial hump after years of failure. That’s what makes the taste of winning that much sweeter. With George now in tow, the time is now for the Sixers to get the job done in the Eastern Conference finally.
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